Riding 1,000km through South Australia on a postie bike might sound uncomfortable, but for the recipients of money raised by the Apex Outback Postie Ride, it is a huge comfort.
Event founder and Principal of Raine & Horne Port Augusta Greg Kipling OAM said the four-day ride which finished on August 11, raised a stunning $173,000 for the Apex Copper Coast Retreats.
“The four respite cabins at Wallaroo on the Yorke Peninsula are for South Australians and their families dealing with the stress and demands of cancer, and who don’t have the financial means to enjoy some respite,” Mr Kipling explained.
Since launching the Outback Postie Ride in 2007, the event, which takes in the rugged Flinders Ranges and Outback South Australia, has raised a total of $1.11 million for the charity.
This year, Mr Kipling raised $13,000 personally and contributed many hours to event management. His time investment included route planning and several preparatory runs of the challenging 1,000-kilometre course.
Mr Kipling initially founded the ride to raise funds for the Childhood Cancer Association of SA to support a close friend who had lost a child to cancer.
“In our first year, seven riders on postie bikes helped us to raise $10,000,” he said. “We chose these bikes, as they are relatively affordable and are far from being the most appropriate means of transport for taking on the Flinders Ranges. The postie bikes add a significant level of challenge, excitement and fun to the event.”
This year the ride attracted 95 participants, with plenty of scrapes, crashes, and flat tyres, which challenged the resolve of even the most experienced motorcyclists.
“Amazingly, every bike survived the harsh four-day challenge, as they seem to do every year,” Mr Kipling said.
The Apex Outback Postie Bike Ride is only part of the charitable work the community-minded real estate principal undertakes.
Fondly known as ‘Kipo’, the former oil company executive who joined the real estate industry in 2001, has been a Chairperson of Business Port Augusta, and a Motorcycle Instructor for Ridersafe Whyalla. Mr Kipling, who earned his OAM in 2018, joined Port Augusta Apex in 1986 and has been an Apex life member since 2000.
“When I moved to Port Augusta in 1982, I wanted to get involved in something in my new town, and Apex was a popular way to do this,” Mr Kipling said.
“Once I started in real estate, Apex seemed like an excellent way to keep giving back to the town.
“I’ve even had property owners tell me that the reason they listed with me was that, ‘I see you out and about doing a bit with Apex and the community’.”
Raine & Horne General Manager James Trimble said Mr Kipling represents the exact type of honourable people the agency attracts to its global network.
“Community events such as the Apex Outback Postie Bike Ride that raise hundreds of thousands of dollars don’t happen without dedicated and focused people,” Mr Trimble said.
“Greg goes over and above for the community of Port Augusta, and his reputation is well-deserved.”
